


Stare

by quietcloud



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boy Band, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M, band au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-06-20 02:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15524013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietcloud/pseuds/quietcloud
Summary: The Marauders were Marlene’s newest favorite band. For now, they mostly played in pubs and parks, but they were steadily gaining more attention. Their music was fairly good. Except for this one particular song, which for some inexplicable reason was precisely the one the radio had decided to pick up. It played freaking everywhere. Lily thought the singer's voice worked better on rock and roll songs. Stare was a slower number, and a very romantic one at that. It was a little too mushy for her taste.Apparently they were all very good looking. Lily wouldn't know: she had never seen a picture of them because she refused to encourage Marlene in her frankly ridiculous swooning.------OR : Lily meets a cute stranger in a bus (hint: it's James)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back with another Jily AU! This won't be a particularly long story so I was debating whether I should wait until I'm finished to post the whole thing or if I should split it into chapters. As you can see, I decided to do the latter. I'll probably do 3/4 short chapters. I have about half of it written for now. I really hope you enjoy :)

“Dorcas, turn the music up!”

“Turn it up yourself!” 

“You're literally right next to it.”

Lily tried to ignore her friends’ bickering, but unfortunately she couldn't hear the music over their raised voices. She ended up leaving her position on the couch, and walked towards the speakers to make them play louder.  _ Don't stop me now _ blasted through Mary's living room. Marlene gave her a huge smile. “Thanks Lily. You're the best.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere Marls.” 

“Wrong. Flattery will get me anywhere I like.”

“Flattery and flirting.” Dorcas added, with a jab of her elbow. 

Lily snorted and walked back to the couch, grabbing a few sweets from the table on her way, only to find that Mary had stolen her place.

“After everything I’ve done for you.”

She crouched down and sat on the ground, her back to the couch. Mary, maybe in an attempt to make Lily forgive her for the stolen couch, started playing with her friend’s dark red hair. Lily closed her eyes to focus on the sensation. 

The moment was broken when the music changed, and Freddy Mercury's voice was replaced by a soft piano and guitar arrangement. Marlene gave an excited squeal while Lily pursed her lips, readying herself for what was to come. 

“I love this song!” The blonde woman said, as if her reaction to it hadn't been obvious enough. 

“I hate this song.”, countered Lily. 

 

_ The Marauders _ were Marlene’s newest favorite band. For now, they mostly played in pubs and parks, but they were steadily gaining more attention. Their music was fairly good. Except for this one particular song, which for some inexplicable reason was precisely the one the radio had decided to pick up. It played freaking everywhere. Lily thought the singer's voice worked better on rock and roll songs.  _ Stare  _ was a slower number, and a very romantic one at that. It was a little too mushy for her taste. 

Apparently they were all very good looking. Lily wouldn't know: she had never seen a picture of them because she refused to encourage Marlene in her frankly ridiculous swooning. While Marlene closed her eyes and started to rock her head to the melody, Lily shared an amused look with her other friends. But thanks to Alice receiving yet another text that brought the biggest smile to her lips, the conversation started up again and Lily was saved from having to listen to  _ the Marauders _ ’ song. 

 

\-----

 

The bus was exceptionally empty on that day. Lily was pleasantly surprised to spot a free space towards the back. She sat down and put her bag on her lap. She rummaged through it in search of her book but sighed when she couldn't find it. She must have left it at home. 

“Tough day?” the man next to her spoke, which made her turn her head towards him. She hadn't given him much attention before but now that she was, she had to admit he was very much her type. The messy hair, the sideway smile, the  _ glasses _ . 

“Aren't they all tough days?”

He gave her a sympathetic smile and shrugged. “I guess a day hanging out on your couch with your best friends is less tough than working at the office all day.”

“I guess you're right.” she admitted,” What do you do?” 

“Oh, I don't actually have an office job. It was more of an example. I'm… “ the man stopped, seemingly hesitant.” That's my stop.”

Lily thought that he looked awfully relieved to put an end to their conversation. She watched him get off the bus and followed his silhouette with her eyes until he turned right and disappeared from her view. 

 

\----

 

Now that she had talked to him once, Lily realised that the man took the same bus as her on most days. He was usually there when she entered the bus and always left three stops before hers. He apparently lived in a posher neighbourhood. Seeing how good-looking she found him, it was honestly surprising she hadn't noticed him sooner. Now she couldn't help but steal glances. Sometimes she found him looking her way, but it's hard to tell if someone's looking at you for you or if they've just noticed you staring. She hoped it was the former. 

They didn't talk again for a week, not for lack of wanting on Lily's part, but because the bus was always packed. 

On a Friday evening, they found themselves next to each other again, this time standing and holding onto the same pole. He gave her a big smile. She responded with one of her own. 

“Hey” he said, then paused. “Oh, I don't actually know your name.” 

“Hello again. Do you always ask for strangers’ names on the bus?” 

_ Only the pretty ones,  _ she thought she heard him mutter. 

“Well technically, this is the second time we meet. I'm James.” 

He offered her his hand and she shook it. “Lily.” 

“That's quite a beautiful name, Lily. ” 

She rolled her eyes. “Let me guess: a beautiful name for a beautiful girl? I've heard that before.”

He laughed, not bothering to deny what he had been planning to say. “And you've received quite a few lily bouquets, I'm guessing?”

She nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” James said with assurance. Lily thought it looked good on him. 

The bus stopped and he actually dropped a  _ curtsy _ before getting off the bus. “See you later, Lily.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are you excited? i know i am ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! It's a little longer. And very cute. I hope you enjoy.

After that, they managed to talk on most days. On the days when they couldn't, they simply acknowledged each other with a shared glance across the bus and maybe a nod.

On the days they did speak, Lily always went home in a better mood. Even phone calls with Petunia didn't manage to drive her up the wall as fast as they used to.

She only had to wait a week before he asked her out. She pretended to think it over before handing over her phone so he could enter his phone number into it.

“So are you free next Monday?” he asked, giving Lily her phone back. She sent him the standard _hey_ text so he had her number as well.

“Aren’t you supposed to text me for that? There’s an order to this: chatting, texting, asking out. There are rules.”

He gave her a smile that made her insides melt. “I’ve never been good with rules.”

She rolled her eyes at his line: this guy was a walking romcom love interest.

“I am free on Monday. What did you have in mind?”

He made a show of looking her up and down and raising his eyebrows suggestively before replying, dead serious. “Ice cream.”

Lily burst out laughing. This guy really was something special.

“Ice cream sounds great.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.” And with another damn _curtsy,_ he exited the bus.

 

\---

 

 **New text from Charming Bus Guy:** Hi Lily

 **New text from Charming Bus Guy:** can’t wait to see you on monday!

 

Lily smiled at the name James had put in for himself, not bothering to change it. It suited him.

 

 **From Lily:** I'm sorry, who are you?

 **From Lily:** You see, I meet many charming men on buses

 

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** ouch

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** and do you have a date with all of them on monday?

 

 **From Lily:** afraid I do. What was our plan?

 

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** ice cream

 

 **From Lily:** actually I have three ice cream dates so you'll have to be more precise…

 

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** I'm afraid I won't be able to come on monday, due to a case of broken heart

 

 **From Lily:** more like bruised ego

 **From Lily:** see you on Monday, James ;)

 

\---

 

“How dare you?” Marlene stood on the threshold of Lily’s apartment, her hands on her hips in what would have been a menacing posture, had Lily not seen it a thousand times.

“How dare I what?” Lily answered while going into the kitchen, leaving the door open to allow her friend to follow.

“Not tell me you had a date! I had to find out from MacDonald!” Marlene sat down on the only chair that wasn't currently covered in books or pans.

“I knew you'd find out soon enough.”

“Luckily for you, I did. So”, Marlene rested her elbows on her knees and put her head in her hands. “what are you wearing?”

Lily didn't turn around, busy taking out two tea bags out of a cardboard box in her kitchen cupboard. “On the bed.”

The blonde woman didn't bother waiting for her friend, knowing she'd soon follow her with the tea. She went straight for the bedroom. A white and light green dress had been thrown over the bed.

“That one? He must be _really_ hot.” Lily heard her friend shout. She came into the room and gave Marlene one tea cup, not gratifying her with an answer. Her friend nodded in thanks and continued.

“How did you meet him?”, she asked.

Lily sat down on the bed next to her friend, careful not to sit on the dress.

“He’s bus guy.”

Marlene gave an excited squeal.

“Bus guy? You work fast! That's my girl.” She held out her hand for a high five, and Lily indulged her, though she rolled her eyes at the same time.

“Not faster than you.”

Marlene laughed, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “No one works faster than me.”

 

\---

 

“You're part Irish, then?” James while he opened the ice cream shop’s door. The inside was much cooler than the streets - London, like most of the world that summer, was going through a heat wave- and Lily welcomed it.

“Yes, on my father’s side. Do you mind if we sit indoors?”

“Not at all. You don’t like the heat?” He walked to a small blue table near a window and pulled out her chair before sitting opposite her.

Lily grimaced before answering “Every summer it’s the same. I always think it’s nice during the first hours of warm weather before I’m reminded that I actually hate it.”

James gave her another of his heart-stopping smiles. “Must be the Irish part.”

They stopped their chatting when a waiter came to give them menus. Lily read over the list of available ice creams and sorbets. The amount of flavors they could choose from was almost intimidating, and some sounded downright bizarre.

After a while she decided to go for blackberry. She had always liked sorbets better and they were more refreshing, which would be perfect considering the day’s frankly unrealistic temperatures.. She was only half surprised when James told the waiter he wanted two scoops of M&M’s and cereal ice cream. _Cereal? At least he hadn’t chosen the salt and vinegar one._

While they waited for their order, Lily let her eyes wander over the small shop. The walls were painted a light orange color and all the tables and chairs were different, giving the whole space an eclectic yet welcoming vibe. Speakers hung from the wall and were currently playing the last notes of Dua Lipa’s _New Rules_ . The volume faded as the song ended and Lily recognized the beginning of the next song as a dreadfully familiar one. The employee responsible for the playlist the shop used apparently liked _the Marauders_ too. But why did they always have to play that one song? They had great songs so why was it always the terribly sappy one?

She looked at James again and his cheeks went pink. She guessed he must have been staring and raised her eyebrows at him.

“Do you like this band?” he asked, with a nonchalance that didn’t particularly suit him.

“My friend Marlene’s a big fan. They’re all very attractive, apparently.”

His eyes crinkled at the corner as his lips formed yet another playful smile. “Oh really? And what do you think?”

“I’ve never seen any of them, so I don’t know. But they must be if they reached this level of fame so quickly.”

“Couldn’t it have been that their music is good ?”, he countered.

“Maybe it’s both.”

He seemed satisfied with her answer and moved on to ask her if she’d seen the new _Mamma mia!_ movie and which ABBA cover was her favorite (it was _why did it have to be me,_ obviously).

 

One they had finished their ice creams - James was a slow eater and _of course_ he had taken two scoops so it took him forever and by the end, his ice was a melted mess - they went outside to walk around. Their hands grazed each other a few times in the span of a minute before Lily asked:

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“I’m building up the tension.”, he explained as if he was revealing a magician’s greatest trick.

“Tension?”

He took her hand in his, finally - she had to admit she had been getting impatient so his whole ‘tension’ charade did work - and replied: “Sexual tension, of course.”

Lily couldn’t contain her laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be there soonish. I'm on summer break right now so I have a lot of free time and try to use it to write. Please tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you might not like this chapter very much

“So… **”,** Mary asked over their usual Sunday morning tea - coffee for Dorcas and Mary - “how was the date?”

“Still can't believe you haven't told me anything yet.”, added Marlene. She adjusted her position on the chair she was sitting on, crossing her legs elegantly.

Lily pretended not to see them and looked around their favorite coffeeshop, admiring the prints from local artists hung up in golden frames on the wall closest to them. When Marlene kicked her under the table and she looked at her friends again, she couldn’t ignore the insistent stares and was forced to answer.

“I knew I'd see you all today!”, Lily defended. “I didn’t want to show favoritism.”

Marlene scoffed and started to protest but Dorcas cut her short.

“Enough excuses”, she said, “and out with it.”

“It was very nice. We went for ice-cream and walked around a bit.” Lily was fully aware her answer wouldn’t be satisfactory. Last Monday had been so lovely and she wanted to keep some of it to herself.

“Real question though : Did he hold your hand?” Marlene made sure.

Lily smiled as she recalled Monday’s stroll around the city and James’ jokes. “He did.”

Marlene gave a satisfied nod. “That's my boy.” None of the girls seemed bothered by that statement even though she had never actually met the man: it was just typical Marlene.

“And did he kiss you goodbye?” Alice asked excitedly. She had never been one for romance until she'd fallen for her local florist, Frank Longbottom. Now she wanted everyone to be as ridiculously in love as they were. It would have been annoying if they weren’t so adorable.

“He did not.” Lily tried to hide the disappointment from her voice when she added. “A real gentleman.”

The truth was, she was disappointed. The date had gone exceptionally well and she was fully expecting a nice goodbye snog by the end of it. Instead she had gotten a little shoulder squeeze and a smile. No matter how heart-stopping his smiles were, they couldn’t replace a proper goodbye kiss.

“A real gentleman my _arse_ ”, exclaimed Marlene, “doesn't know what he's missing.”

“Don't worry Lily, from what you've told us, it's clear this guy is into you.” Mary, ever the attentive one, tried to reassure her friend. The redhead appreciated the effort, but didn't feel all that better.

Lily had always been sure of herself. She knew what she was capable of and rarely doubted her abilities. In her opinion, it was unnecessary to stress for something you knew you were good at. She'd always worked hard and done well in her studies, and later in her work as a chemist. In relationships, she could easily tell when someone liked her and she wasn't afraid to put herself out there.

However, she wasn't sure with James. They'd seen each other almost everyday that week, except on Thursday when he wasn't on the bus. At times he seemed very much interested - _smitten_ , Alice would say - but at other times it felt like he was avoiding certain topics of conversation or rushing off the moment the bus arrived at his stop. It was disconcerting to say the least. And he hadn’t tried to kiss her goodbye on the bus either. She wasn’t asking for a public make-out session, but a little peck would be nice. Hell, she’d settle for a cheek kiss, even. James had made her into an impatient mess and she did not care for it.

To make matters worse, the lull in the conversation allowed Lily to pay heed to the music that the coffeeshop was playing at a low volume and _of course,_ it was the fucking _Marauders_ again. Honestly, she wouldn't hate that song so much if she didn't have to listen to it all the damn time.

Lily groaned and let her face fall on her crossed arms.

 

\---

 

“My friends would like to meet you.” James announced when he saw her on the next Tuesday evening.

Lily was surprised by his request. From what she’d heard, his friends seemed like great people and she was looking forward to meeting them but it felt like it was happening a little too fast. “Do they ask to meet all the people you take out on _one_ date?”

James looked at the ground. He rarely looked uneasy but this couldn’t be anything else. “It’s a test.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “They want to make sure you’ve got my best interest at heart.”

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool. “And you don’t trust me enough to tell them that I do?”

“It’s not that! I trust you… It’s just...”, he pleaded. “In the past I went out with several women who weren't actually interested in me for me. My friends just want to look out for me.”

Lily didn’t know whether she was supposed to be confused or angry. “And what were these women interested in, then?”

James took a deep breath. “Well the truth is… I'm rich. ”, he finally admitted, like it was some big secret and he didn’t get off the bus in bloody Belgravia everyday.

“So they want to make sure I’m not some _gold-digger,_ then. That makes it all _so_ much better.” There was no mistaking the cold edge to her voice: she wasn’t trying to conceal it.

“You don’t understand...” he tried to say but Lily didn’t let him finish. She stepped away from the bus doors which were about to open.

“That’s your stop, James.”

The disappointment was painted all over James’ face as he left the bus, not letting her out of his sight even as the doors closed and the vehicle started rolling away. But she couldn’t let herself be manipulated that way. It would be too easy.

The conversation they’d just had was all too familiar to Lily. ‘ _They were just raised differently. They are used to different things.’_ She could still hear Sev’s voice in her head, defending his new classist friends from university. _‘Besides, they’re not completely wrong…’_. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. She refused to cry for Severus. Not anymore. She had wonderful people in her life, real friends who supported and trusted her, and she didn’t need him.

It’s a shame James wasn’t going to be one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can shout at me in the comments or on tumblr @araniaexumae. I promise the next chapter will be back to sweet and fluffy


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I hope you are all well and that you'll enjoy this chapter. This one is sweet.

Lily had always considered herself a brave person.

She didn’t run from confrontation - with a sister like Petunia, she had become used to it - and always faced her issues head-on. That’s why she felt slightly ashamed when, for the third night in a row, she decided to stay later at work. She’d told her boss and colleagues that it was because she was so close to finishing her current project but deep down, she knew it was a lie. She was avoiding James. She was fleeing like a coward.

Taking the bus later only worked for so long. He must have guessed that’s what she was doing because, on Friday, he was on the same bus as her. Unfortunately for him, he was at the back of the bus and it was so crowded that he couldn’t have reached her spot towards the front, so she was saved from having to interact with him. She ignored his pleading looks and immersed herself in her book. When he left she couldn’t help but throw him a glance and the look in his eyes knocked the wind out from her lungs.

Had she been wrong to cut him off like that? No. It didn’t matter that he looked sorry and that he could give Mary’s puppy dog eyes a run for their money. He was a rich asshole and she was done spending time with him. She had already lost a best friend to that kind of classist thinking and she didn’t want to get hurt by a privileged boy all over again. It was best to forget about James.

 _That way he won’t be scared of me stealing all his money._ It was with this thought in mind that Lily reached her apartment building, deciding her cold treatment was the least he deserved.

However, it’s hard not to think about someone when they are right in front of you. As Lily walked towards her bus stop the next day after work, she recognized his silhouette. No one else had such unruly hair. _What the hell was he doing here?_ _That wasn’t his stop!_

Determined not to run this time, she kept her eyes on him and walked even faster than before. She must have looked a little intimidating because James stepped back and into the metal pole which announced which bus lines stopped there. _Serves him right._ He rubbed his head a little and gave her a tentative smile. Lily reached him and raised her chin in defiance. His timid smile grew bigger.

“So you’re stalking me now? Maybe I should have _my_ friends investigate you.”

He raised his hand like she was a police officer arresting him. “I’m not! Well, I guess I am. But if you tell me to go away right now, I will.”

He waited a few seconds but she didn’t say anything so he continued. “I’m sorry, Lily. I should have just told my friends to fuck off. I know you’re not interested in me for my money.”

“Still confident that I’m interested in you?” she teased, her anger almost gone. She’d never been good at holding grudges, always wanting to see the best in people. It had gotten her hurt in the past. But ever the optimist, Lily decided that maybe (and this was a big maybe), he was worth a second chance.

His hand jumped to his hair again while his cheeks became pink. “Of course not! I meant you _were_ interested in me. I mean, I guess. You did go on that one date with me so you probably _did_ like me _a bit_. But that doesn’t mean anything, really, I shouldn’t take it for granted that…” It was hard to stay mad at James Potter when he rambled at such a speed.

“It’s okay James.” She took his hands in hers to stop them from fidgeting _and okay, maybe it was because he was adorable and she couldn’t help but want to hold his hands._

“You’re not mad anymore? I know I can be a right tosser sometimes. Mum always says so.”

“I’m not.” she assured. “And maybe I overreacted. It’s just…”

The bus arrived at that moment, making her stop talking while she rummaged her bag for her oyster card.

The driver smiled at them knowingly, when they entered the bus.

"Glad you sorted that out." he said and they both nodded silently, embarrassed that their fight apparently hadn't been all that private.

They shuffled towards the back of the bus, making sure they were far enough before continuing their talk.

James laced his fingers with hers. .  "You were saying?"

Lily threw another look towards the front of the vehicle and its too curious chauffeur and cleared her throat.

"I had this friend. My best friend for years. He..." she stopped and felt James squeeze her hand softly.

"He got involved with these horrible people. Privileged boys who thought they deserved more than everyone else only because they had money. They looked down on people with second-hand clothes, laughed when people brought their own food instead of paying for the cafeteria."

"God, Lily, that's horrible. I promise I really don't think like that. I mean, I used to be a little arrogant,but that had nothing to do with my parents' money... More with my dashing good looks. ", he nudged her shoulder and smiled proudly when that got a weak laugh out of her.

"They didn't like me because I had a freaking _scholarship_ ", she said the word with disdain, remembering how Avery had spoken to her on the few times he hadn't completely ignored her presence, "and Severus fell under their influence completely. It wasn't like he was particularly well off either, he came from the same small town, but for some reason they chose him and it made him feel so damn important."

She took a deep breath, blinking away a few tears that were threatening to appear.

"Anyway, that's the story of why I lost my best friend. Can we talk about something else, now?"

 

James immediately launched into a story about his mate Peter's obsession with Hawaiian pizza and how he had to eat it in the corridor because his other mate Remus had banned it from his apartment.

It was then that Lily decided that she had been right to give him another shot. A man who was so careful about her feelings and made her laugh so much could be nothing short of wonderful.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you like it? plase tell me if you did! have a nice day <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I'm sorry it's been forever. I've started life at a new school this year and it's going great :D  
> But I don't get a lot of writing done. Things have settled down a bit so I'll try to make it a habit again. I hope you enjoy this little chapter!  
> (This was not proof-read so all mistakes are 100% mine)

There were very few things that could annoy Lily Evans.

Oh, _who was she kidding?_ A lot of things made her angry. She wasn’t the most patient person, _sue her_. However, there very few things that drove her up the wall quite like her sister Petunia.

Just the sound of her voice sufficed to make Lily clench her teeth and feel a headache coming on. She made herself relax the hand that was holding the phone. _Breathe, you can do this._

“Lily, you’re coming on Tuesday for the fitting, right?”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be on Friday?”

“It was, but Ethel couldn’t make it so we had to move it up.”

“Well I can’t make it on Tuesday.” Lily heard her sister sigh and was about to ask if Ethel being there mattered more than her presence but unfortunately she knew the answer. There was no use in giving Petunia a stick to beat her with.

“Oh come on Lily”, her sister continued in her best condescending voice, “what are you doing on Tuesday anyway? _Work?”_ She said the word like one would talk about bird excrements or the flu. Lily started to walk around her flat to get the frustration out.

“Yes, Petunia. I actually have to go to work to pay my rent.”

Her sister giggled - actually giggled - before answering. “Oh, I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about _rent_.” There was that voice again. “Did mom tell you about Vernon’s promotion?”

“She did.” Lily lied. Honestly, she knew she couldn’t stomach twenty minutes of Petunia talking about her fiance.

“I feel so lucky I found him. By the way,” Lily pictured her sister smiling like the cat who got the cream and prepared herself for the worst. “Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

“I am, actually.”

“Oh that’s great! Should we add him to the guest list?”

“I don’t know. It might be too soon for that.”

“But you want it to become serious?” she asked.

Lily smiled. “I think I do.”

“I’m sure it will.” Petunia sounded genuinely happy. She did want a good life for Lily, it’s just that the two sisters generally didn’t agree on what that meant.

“So”, she continued, “tell me about him. What does he do?”

Lily stopped her pacing. “I… I have no idea.”

“Oh please make sure he’s not _unemployed_.”

Before she got angry again, Lily bid her goodbye. “I have to go Petunia. See you on Tuesday!” She managed to inject some semblance of excitement into her voice before hanging up.

 

So what _did_ James do for a living? Apparently he was very well off so he might just be a trust fund kid living off his parents’ money. She hoped not. Then again, he took the bus at semi-regular hours so he did get out of his house daily to do _something_. Oh well, there was no use getting hung up on it, she’d find out soon enough.

  
  
\---

 

“So did you have an alien phase or a dinosaur phase?” James asked, popping a chocolate into his mouth before offering one to Lily. Never one to refuse food, Lily smiled and took one from his outstretched hand.

As usual, they had met up at the back of the bus, on a damp Tuesday evening.

“Both. And yourself?”

“Aliens. My best friend is named after a star so I got really invested in space.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Sweet?” James sputtered. “I am not _sweet_. I’m badass.”

Lily laughed and James smiled proudly. It seemed like making her laugh had become one of his favourite activities. Lily didn't mind one bit.

She nudged his knee with hers. Simple physical contact like this had become the norm for them. “So what did you do today?”

His hand jumped to the nape of his neck before making his way up to mess up his hair even more. Lily successfully stopped herself from staring.

“I helped mum with some charity work.”

“Do you do that often?”

“Depends on how much time I can find. But my parents have always insisted I help with the foundation.”

 _Huh,_ so he helped his rich philanthropist parents to manage their own foundation. _That would definitely be something worth bragging about to Petunia._ Lily pushed back the petty feeling. She wasn't going to think about her sister when she could be thinking about the wonderful man sat next to her.

 _“_ That’s incredible! What do you usually do?”

“I make phone calls and write emails and such. It's mostly boring stuff.”

“But it’s so useful!” Lily insisted.

The top of his ears went pink and he shrugged. “I guess. What about you? What did you do today?”

Sensing he was getting embarrassed, she ignored the not-so-subtle change of subject.

“The usual. Put on protective glasses and a blouse and use a micropipette about a thousand times.”

James laughed and put his arm on the back of her seat. _Smooth._

 _“_ You make it sound so easy. I'm sure I wouldn't understand half of it.”

She shook her head. “You’d get the hang of it pretty fast. The hard part is the interpretation afterwards.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Often, you want the results to turn out a certain way and sometimes they don’t and you have to change your hypothesis and find out why.”

He showed off his perfect smile once more and let his arm slip from the back of her seat to her shoulders. “ _H_ _ypothesis._ What a big word.”

“Oh shut up, it’s not.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Lily as a chemist. I really hope you liked this little chapter and that you're excited for what happens next. I know I'm excited to write it! have a nice day


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i AM still alive lol. enjoy <3

**From Lily:** there's an opening at a photo gallery for my friend Dorcas next week, do you want to come?

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** tell me when and where

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** I'll be there

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** (I say this in a completely casual and platonic way ofc)

 

Lily put down the package of rice she was balancing on her right arm to take her phone out and look at his response.

 

 **From Lily:** great! I'll text you the details later

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** I'll be waiting impatiently

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** (again, completely casual)

 **From Lily:** see you later James

 **From Charming Bus Guy:** :D :D :D

 

His texting style fit him perfectly and just like James, it never failed to make Lily smile. She slipped her phone back into the back pocket of her favorite mom jeans and made her way to the next aisle. Then she remembered that she'd left the rice she wanted to purchase on a shelf and went back for it before going to the vegetable aisle. She picked some cucumber and tomatoes and put them in paper bags before weighing them. Then, she checked on her phone that she’d picked everything on her shopping list -she hadn’t, of course she’d forgotten to take toothpaste so she had to go to the other end of the store to get some - and walked to the check-out line, feeling like a real fully-functioning adult. She absentmindedly read the titles on the magazines while she waited. She was trying to read the headlines on a newspaper that was upside down when she noticed the music in the background. The first notes of _the Marauders_ ’ _Stare_ rang in her ears and instead of huffing like she would have done a few weeks ago, she surprised herself by smiling. The song made her think of her first date with James. She smiled as she listened to the soft piano introduction and recalled the weird choices in flavors he had made or how he’d made her laugh and almost spit out her own ice cream. Lily didn’t hate that song all that much after all.  


\---

 

Lily hadn’t expected him to look this good in a suit. Sure, she’d thought of it when he’d asked her how formal of an event the opening would be. And she was fully aware of the fact that he could easily afford one of those expensive jackets that made anyone look impossibly polished. However, nothing had prepared her for the event of seeing James walk into the room with a black jacket that fit his shoulders so well that she immediately imagined taking it off him.

She was standing with Marlene, Mary and Alice when he arrived. She noticed him as soon as he walked into the room and she could do nothing but stare. He stopped right at the entrance and shrugged his jacket off, revealing the most perfect white shirt. Sure, some would say it was just a classic white button-up shirt but an ordinary garment could not look _this good_ on a person. There had to be some kind of magic involved.

James looked around the room and when his eyes met her emerald ones, he smiled and started walking towards her.

Lily had tuned out anything that wasn’t _James_ and she was brought back to reality by a not-so-soft elbow jab to the stomach. She looked at Mary, furrowing her brow. Her friend merely laughed at her annoyance.

“I’ve rarely seen you so lovestruck, Lils. But I have to admit, he does look _fine_.” she said, extending the ‘i’.

“Where is this eye-candy Lily invited. I wanna see too” Marlene whined, looking around the room. It was easy to notice the moment she saw James amongst the crowd. She swiftly turned back to her friends, eyes open wide. “Lily! But that’s -”

She was shushed by Alice and received her own elbow jab from Mary. She threw them both a dirty look but she didn’t finish her sentence. James had reached them and was politely waiting for Lily to greet him. He didn’t have to wait at all as the woman in question practically threw herself at him. She didn’t feel comfortable kissing him in front of her friends so she hugged him, tucking her head into his neck and breathing him in. One of his arms went to the small of her back while the other cradled the back of her head and she was inexplicably moved by the gesture. It felt like she was _safe_ there.

Lily started to notice people looking at them when really, they shouldn’t be looking at anything but Dorcas’ incredible photography so she pulled back, letting one of her hands slip down his arms all the way to his hand. He intertwined their fingers and squeezed.

He got closer again to whisper “You look amazing.” in her ear and Lily knew from the look in his eyes that he was just as affected by her appearance as she was by his.

Finally, he tore his gaze away and looked at Lily’s friend.

“Hi, I’m James.”

Marlene snorted and answered: “Yeah. We know.” , which earned her a pointed look from Mary. Lily didn’t have time to analyse why her friends were looking at each other like that because Dorcas joined them, effectively diffusing the tension.

“Thank you so much for coming!” She hugged her friends one by one and turned to James.

“And you must be James. I’m so glad Lily brought you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the ending feels a bit weird but I just couldn't figure out how to finish this scene, but I really wanted to publish because it's been ages. so I'll continue this scene next chapter, maybe? i hope you enjoyed this. have a lovely day <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been so long so you've probably forgotten but Lily and James where at Dorcas' photography gallery opening. It was the first time James met any of her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Guess what? I WROTE something. I know, I have trouble believing it myself. I hadn't written anything since November so it might not be any good but here it goes. Enjoy :)

The evening went by perfectly. Everyone adored Dorcas’ photography and she ended her thank-you speech with a nod and a smile, which was a not a gesture she often did for people who weren't her close friends. 

James got on well with all of her friends, except Marlene who didn’t really interact with him and seemed to be throwing him suspicious glares every once in a while. It bothered Lily a little, because Marlene always had a good intuition and she had always looked out for Lily. Besides, she had talked about wanting to meet James for a while. But her blonde friend hadn’t actually said anything so she decided to file that under  _ things to worry about later _ . There was no reason not to enjoy her evening.

James spent the whole evening with a hand on her back or rubbing her shoulders or touching her in completely innocent ways. However, Lily’s brain didn’t seem to have gotten the memo about the innocence part of it all because the room kept getting warmer and warmer. She adjusted the straps of her dress yet again and the mirth in James’ eyes showed her that he was fully aware of the effect he had on her.

 

Once most visitors had gone, Dorcas hugged her friends one last time before telling Lily to go.

“He’s been staring at you so much I’m not sure he even saw my photographs. Get your lovesick boyfriend out of my face.” Dorcas often hid her affection behind sarcasm but it was obvious that she was happy for her friend.

Lily didn’t need to be told twice. She congratulated Dorcas one more time before grabbing James by the hand and pulling him towards the exit.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him.

He waited until they were outside to pull her towards him and kiss her.

“Not particularly.”

The way he looked at her made it quite clear that food wasn’t the first thing on his mind.

She pretended to be offended. “James! We’re in a public place.”

He smiled.

“That could very easily change. Come back to my place?  _ please _ ?”

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

  
  


\---

  
  


When James had told her he was rich, she really hadn’t realized the extent of it. She’d never slept in a bed that was this comfortable. The mattress was just the right balance of firm and soft, the sheets had to be at least a million threads per square inch and  _ god  _ the pillows. She could have written a love song just for these pillows. There were definitely upsides to having money, other than not worrying about financial stability or eating obviously.

The biggest upside of this apartment, however, was that it was James’. Lily woke up to the sun on her face and James’ hands on her stomach and the only reason why she let him leave the bed was because he promised breakfast. She let herself sink back into the pillows while she waited for him, absentmindedly running her fingers up and down the sheets.

She was about to fall back asleep when he came back into the room with a platter in his hands. She would have been annoyed at the platter for masking the view she had of James’ stomach but it contained  _ food _ . Also, it made his arms bend and look really nice. The smell of toasted bread reached her nose and she sighed happily.

“Is the smile for me or the food?” James asked jokingly.

“Mostly the food.” she admitted, “but you’re definitely a bonus.”

He laughed and set the platter on his bedside table before climbing back into bed with her. Lily took advantage of this new position by nestling herself close to him and putting her head on his shoulder. He put one arm around her and kissed her hair.

The moment couldn’t have been more perfect. So that’s why,  _ of course _ , James’ phone started to ring. The sound of an electric guitar suddenly filled the room and made Lily jump, hitting her head against James’ chin. The man in question reached for his phone and turned down the call without looking at the caller ID.

“Are you sure it’s not important?” Lily asked, grateful that this moment seemed to matter just as much to James as it did to her.

“I don’t care right now.” he answered earnestly, “Besides, that’s Sirius’ ringtone so it can’t be too important.”

Lily snorted. “You have personalized ringtones?”

“Sirius set this for himself. Said only guitar was badass enough for him. Which really doesn’t make sense because he plays the piano.”

“Oh I didn’t know he was a musician.”

James shrugged. “He learned to play when he was small. It’s one of the only things from his childhood that he likes to remember.”

Sensing that this story wasn’t James’ to tell, Lily changed the subject.

“So what’s my ringtone?”

James’ cheeks reddened. “Um… I don’t think you have one. It must be the generic iPhone ringtone.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She reached for her bag which lay on the floor next to the bed, with all the clothes they hadn’t been bothered to fold last night. She rummaged through it for a while before her fingers touched something hard and phone-shaped and she pulled it out. She went in her recent contacts and called  **Charming Bus Guy** .

Some very familiar notes sounded through the air, and James took the pillow under him to hide his face. Only a few strands of black hair could be seen from behind the pillow. 

“Is it that romance song by _the Marauders_?”

James slowly raised the pillow from his face to meet her eyes. 

“Would it help if I said Sirius set that too?”

“It’s still lame.” she answered, but she kissed him because he was her lame idiot and she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the next chapter (which will be the last) already written. I just need to proofread it so it shouldn't take too long. Thanks so much for reading <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James invites Lily to a bar to see "some friends of his" play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy I hope you're doing good. Here it is! The last chapter of this band AU. I started this story so long ago, I almost don't remember the beginning lol. Thanks for sticking with me and enjoy <3

**From Charming Bus Guy:** hey Lily

**From Charming Bus Guy:** some friends of mine are playing at Hogwarts next week

**From Charming Bus Guy:** it’s a pub in Camden

**From Charming Bus Guy:**  wanna come?

 

Writing all necessary information before hitting send really seemed too hard for James Potter. So as usual, Lily heard her phone buzz several times and she waited until it seemed to be over before reaching for the device. She read his messages and smiled. It had been a touchy subject at first, but Lily was impatient to meet his friends. James talked about them constantly and his face lit up everytime he did. Also, they sounded like  _ extremely _ funny people, and Lily wasn’t against a few pranks here and there. Meeting people that were so close to him seemed like a pretty big step. Sure, they weren’t his parents, but Sirius was more of a brother than a friend according to James. And Lily had been a little worried since Marlene had implied she didn’t know James well enough over tea last week.

 

**From Lily:** that’d be lovely. when is it exactly?

 

**From Charming Bus Guy:** friday at 8pm

 

**From Lily:** sounds great

 

**From Charming Bus Guy:** amazing!

**From Charming Bus Guy:** I’ll tell the boys

**From Charming Bus Guy:** see you then! 

**From Charming Bus Guy:** or maybe before that

 

**From Lily:** James we see each other basically every day on the bus, so yeah, probably before that

 

**From Charming Bus Guy:** I know we do

**From Charming Bus Guy:** I wait for that moment all day ;)

 

 

\---

 

 

Lily felt her whole body tense as she realized how crowded the pub was. She hadn't thought James’ friends would be this popular. He had never said the name of the band but no one was friends with celebrities in real life, were they? There was a whole line of people queuing outside the pub and Lily took a deep breath before walking towards it. She didn’t like crowds but the prospect of seeing James made it worth it. She wondered if she could call him to ask if he was already there. Before she had walked to the end of the line, she heard someone call her name.

“Hey Lils! Over there!”

She turned around and saw her friend Marlene waving to her. The blonde woman was standing right beside the door. Grateful that she wouldn’t have to wait too much, and ignoring the guilt that told her that people had been waiting longer, she walked up to her friend, marveling at the coincidence of meeting her here.

“Hey Marls, what are you doing here?”, she asked.

“I couldn’t skip the opportunity to see the M-”, Marlene suddenly coughed into her hand, “to see this band live. Are you meeting James?”

“I am. How’d you know?” Lily wondered.

Marlene smirked. “Oh, let’s call it intuition.”

 

They went inside the pub and Lily scanned the crowd in search of James but she couldn’t find him. She felt Marlene tug on her arm and looked back at her.

“Let’s go find something to drink. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” Marlene suggested, with that look that made you believe she knew something that you didn’t.

The blonde woman squeezed her way to the bar and ordered two beers while Lily texted James to tell him she was there. Her friend came back with two glasses and handed one to Lily. 

“Dorcas didn’t want to come?” the redhead asked.

“We took the tube together but she left to get some shots of the canals.”

Lily nodded. It sounded just like Dorcas to prefer photography over a band.

 

She was looking down at her phone to check that James still hadn’t responded when she heard his voice. But he wasn’t right next to her, that was his voice _ through a microphone _ . She looked up to see him in the middle of the stage. _Of course_. James loved attention so it wouldn’t surprise her if he had asked his friends to announce them.

They were four of them on stage. James was in front of the mic stand. A thin man with blond hair and a scar - that had to be Remus, then - was sitting behind drums and playing with the wands in his hands. Another with silky black hair - Sirius - was setting up a keyboard and the third one - Peter - was adjusting the bass strap on his shoulder. Despite seeing them for the first time, they looked familiar to her. She guessed it was due to how much James talked about them.

 

Lily noticed the exact moment James saw her in the crowd because his eyes lit up and he gripped the mic a little tighter.

“Hey everyone. Thank you so much for coming here tonight. It really means a lot to the band. I’d especially like to thank one special lady for being here tonight.” The crowd squealed and the idiot  _ winked _ at her. Marlene gave her an elbow jab and wiggled her eyebrows. Lily shushed her and looked back at James. He didn’t stop looking at her as he went on: 

“This woman means a lot to me and I’ve asked the boys to dedicate this first song to her.  And after taking the piss, they agreed. So let’s hear it!” People screamed excitedly and Lily rolled her eyes at him. She mouthed  _ you’re an idiot  _ at him from across the room and he smiled even brighter.

 

Instead of walking of the stage and towards her like she expected him to, James took a few steps back and picked up a guitar before walking back to the mic stand.  _ What the hell? He was part of the band? How did she not know he was in a band? _

James, Remus and Peter looked at Sirius and he nodded imperceptibly before starting to play. The intro was slow and  _ this seemed so familiar. Why, why, WHY?  _

Lily was about to ask Marlene about it when it hit her.

They were  _ the Marauders _ .

_ Fuck. _

James was the lead singer of the freaking  _ Marauders _ and she had somehow missed that fact.

_ How does one miss the fact that their boyfriend is the lead singer in a band? _

 

Before she could properly freak out, James started to sing and the world seemed to stop.

The song that had always seemed too soft and mushy now seemed like a poem written just for her. James eyes’ didn’t leave hers for one second and she was pretty sure she had stopped breathing.

_ How does one properly function when being serenaded? _

This was a completely new situation for her. But she could get used to this.

 

And if she already thought that James sounded good, nothing could have prepared her for the glory that was his voice when it reached the bridge. It got all low and breathy and she was so screwed.

_ Was it just her or had the room gotten warmer? _

 

Lily couldn’t decide if she wanted the song to end or not. On one hand, she could have listened to him all day. On the other, singing meant that she couldn’t snog him and she really felt like snogging him right now.

And it seemed that James felt the same way because he leapt off the stage before Sirius even finished the outro and he was walking towards her.

Everyone was staring but they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Not even Marlene who had the audacity to take her phone out and record the whole thing.

What mattered was this man and his stupid voice, and his stupid smile and  _ god,  _ Lily was pretty sure she loved him.

 

He stopped right in front of her, looking almost shy, like he hadn’t just serenaded her in front of everybody. He put his hand in his front pockets and shrugged.

“So… I guess I’m in a band. Surprise!” 

Lily had no idea how to answer so she did the only logical thing to do in such a situation. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward until their mouths finally met.

The cheers around them reminded them that they weren’t alone and they separated.

James smiled.

“I take it you liked the song, then?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I had this end scene figured out from the moment I decided to write this AU. I really hope you liked it. If you did, please leave me a comment. Thanks so much for reading :)


End file.
